Will Chelsea’s Strategy Under Boehly Pay Off?

Will Chelsea’s Strategy Under Boehly Pay Off?

Todd Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea promised to breathe new life into the club following the departure of Roman Abramovich. The American has made no qualms about matching his predecessor’s spending habits, emulating the spree that the Russian poured into the club following his arrival in 2003. Boehly has spent over £400m since his arrival at Stamford Bridge on both players and manager Graham Potter after he opted to sack Thomas Tuchel. The Blues have not responded on the field yet under the tenure of Potter, and are dangerously off the pace in the race for the Champions League.

However, there is value to be found in the Premier League odds to back the Blues to finish in the top four, with fans likely to make use of free bet offers to back the side. The Premier League top four looks pretty secure with Arsenal and Manchester City poised to battle it out for the title, while Manchester United have improved significantly under Erik ten Hag. Newcastle United have been the surprise package and have performed well above expectations, with the Magpies dreaming of a return to Champions League football.

Chelsea will have to play extremely well to catch either Manchester United or Newcastle to secure a Champions League place, and hope that Tottenham and Liverpool among others are unable to seize the initiative themselves. Boehly has set the stage for Chelsea’s rise to the top with his decision-making, but the pressure is on the owner and his manager Potter in the short term to ensure the club can deliver on its long-term goals.

Setting the stage

It’s clear that Chelsea have a long-term plan to allow players to develop under Potter. The Chelsea manager excelled at Brighton in bringing out the best in young talents, allowing the Seagulls to punch above their weight in the Premier League. The Blues have spent big on a variety of talented players, which appeared to be geared towards experience at first. Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrivals signalled that the club were in win-now mode under Tuchel.

But, after he was dismissed and Potter was appointed, the Blues have changed their approach with the arrival of youngsters such as Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke. Chelsea have been ambitious to secure the signatures of some of the leading young talents in the game, not only spending huge sums, but tying the majority down to lengthy contracts. It is a huge gamble financially for the Blues, although the rewards could be great if these players develop into the spine of a dominant Chelsea team for the next 10 years.

That is the dream for Boehly and given his experience with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s clear to see that he has proven success. However, the business of football is very different from the MLB and results in the short term can influence long-term strategy quickly.

https://unsplash.com/photos/ObhCU6Vhoe8

Pressure on Potter

Chelsea’s form has not improved under Potter since his arrival. He has been forced to deal with a number of issues, including one of the longest injury lists in the Premier League. Potter has been without several key players, while the influx of new arrivals has made life difficult for him to select his best team. The leap from Brighton to Chelsea is huge in terms of expectations. Chelsea will be determined to finish in the top four this season, but the team on the pitch is not playing with cohesion. Naturally, it will take time for Potter to bed in his ideas for the line-up to play to his style rather than that of his predecessor.

Chelsea were not renowned for patience with managers under Abramovich, but Boehly has seemingly committed to a long-term vision. It would be foolish of him to move on from Potter and his backroom staff so quickly after spending a significant amount to prise him away from Brighton. Chelsea may have to take their lumps in the short term by missing out on the Champions League next season, but it could allow them to make their first meaningful title challenge in six years in the 2023/24 campaign.

We hope you enjoyed the article “Will Chelsea’s Strategy Under Boehly Pay Off?” Where do you think Chelsea will finish this season? Let us know!

Read more on sports below:

• 6 tennis players to watch out for in 2023
• Dissecting the pas three winners of the Irish Gold Cup
• How to improve your golf game at home